Skating music you never want to hear again?

[Olympia]

Malaguena
Carmen
The Feeling Begins
Firebird
Swan Lake
Paint It Black
Moonlight Sonata (maybe overused but I love it anyway)
Concerta for Coloratura
Sherezade

You include the Concerto for Coloratura? I only remember one use of it, by Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze. Did I miss other programs that used it? I really like it and found it a fascinating choice by Moskvina for B/S. So on that one I'll have to disagree. I certainly agree with The Feeling Begins, though.

I also echo someone's wish to stop using the Tango de Roxanne. That one I disliked from the start. The lyrics are very rough, and I don't like Sting's caterwauling performance. (And I generally like Sting.) A man in love with a streetwalker tells her not to go out and ply her trade? Eeesh. And it seemed especially unsuitable for YuNa. Some songs just shouldn't have vocals for skating programs.

 

[sgsmozart]

I have been listening to classical music for many, many years. I am appalled at the stunningly poor choice of music so many skaters use. I think it stems from the poor music education in the US for the past 60 years. During the late 50's, music education took a big hit. We were so worried the Soviet Union was getting ahead of us in technology that the arts were put on the back shelf. Science and math came to the forefront.This is one reasons why we keep hearing the same pieces OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
There are many great classical pieces from the baroque, classical, and romantic periods that have never been explored. I think choreographers are equally ignorant in this area.

For example, I doubt very few individuals on this site have ever heard the orchestral "transformation music" from Wagner's opera "Parsifal". Parsifal..the innocent fool..is shown the great mystery of the Holy Grail and by this encounter is "transformed". Stunning music with an unbelievable climax!

There are so many wonderful pieces to explore but it would require someone who has an education in music to help skaters discover these gems.

 

[seniorita]

Sherezade and all the music from Ice Dance SP this year.

 

[TarAncalime]

You include the Concerto for Coloratura? I only remember one use of it, by Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze. Did I miss other programs that used it? I really like it and found it a fascinating choice by Moskvina for B/S. So on that one I'll have to disagree. I certainly agree with The Feeling Begins, though.

I also echo someone's wish to stop using the Tango de Roxanne. That one I disliked from the start. The lyrics are very rough, and I don't like Sting's caterwauling performance. (And I generally like Sting.) A man in love with a streetwalker tells her not to go out and ply her trade? Eeesh. And it seemed especially unsuitable for YuNa. Some songs just shouldn't have vocals for skating programs.

huh? Sting doesnt sing in that version of Le tango De Roxanne...that is Evan Mac Gregor caterwauling))))...well and otherwise I agree with the said overused pieces of music...especially anything from Andrew Lloyd Webber!

I honestly put myself on a diet listening to the Pina OST...THAT is fine ballet music indeed with taste and sophistication...small wonder that the only ones who ever dared to skate to that were Savchenko/Szolkovy and Jeremy Abbot in his SP! the ice dance pair from AZE also had it but they really didnt do it justice IMO...at least they tried and the audience at least had nice music to listen to!

 

[iluvtodd]

Sexyback - done @ least three times @ 2007 Skate America in Reading, PA (although in exhibition)!

 

[Olympia]

huh? Sting doesnt sing in that version of Le tango De Roxanne...that is Evan Mac Gregor caterwauling))))...well and otherwise I agree with the said overused pieces of music...especially anything from Andrew Lloyd Webber!

Oh, my goodness. All these years I've been holding it against Sting. Thanks for the correction! It just goes to show you that I know my way around classical and folk music a lot more than pop. In fact, most of what I know about pop music is from hearing skating programs.

 

[Trewyn]

I'm also over Sleeping Beauty, unless someone wants to do the Lana Del Rey "gonna kill you in your sleep" version.

I hope Ashley skates to it in the Worlds exhibition if she beats Gracie Gold

La vie en rose is still pretty high on my list of "never want to hear again" after 2012
Requiem for a dream
Nino Rota's R&J
Les Mis
Phantom of the Opera
Ave Maria (funeral music!!!! please!)

Having familiar music sometimes helps to get the crowd into it, so I doubt we've seen the end of Carmen, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Scheherazade... But having people use the same cuts over and over again is pretty annoying. I definitely prefer something more original.

Maybe with the new vocals rule things will change next year? What new "warhorses" will pop up in the next quad?

 

[karlowens2]

I hope Ashley skates to it in the Worlds exhibition if she beats Gracie Gold

La vie en rose is still pretty high on my list of "never want to hear again" after 2012
Requiem for a dream
Nino Rota's R&J
Les Mis
Phantom of the Opera
Ave Maria (funeral music!!!! please!)

Having familiar music sometimes helps to get the crowd into it, so I doubt we've seen the end of Carmen, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Scheherazade... But having people use the same cuts over and over again is pretty annoying. I definitely prefer something more original.

Maybe with the new vocals rule things will change next year? What new "warhorses" will pop up in the next quad?

I think there should be a .5 point deduction for anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A full point for Phantom or Les Mis. God, Scheraazade - who knew it would become the new Carmen? D/W, then Caros exhibition program. When I throught it was finished they danced to it for 10 minutes in the closing ceremony.

Masquerde Waltz has to go. Funny, it only exists in figure skating. I´ve never seen it programed in an actual concert. It´s a grim little ditty to boot. It makes me think of the sad Mao of 2010.

 

[SkateToronto]

Bolero, Rhapsody in Blue, Swan Lake

 

[aschiutza]

I like Bolero, but not for skating. It is just to repetitive...

I am tired of Carmen, i don't want to hear it the next ten years. I also don't like music with voice who makes only "aaaa" and "oooo" on them, grates on my nerves.

 

[leoncorazon]

Yes I've hear Parsifal and I was educated in the late 80's and early 90's...In my experience younger audiences just don't care for classical music...I could argue that most people don't like Wagner...I sure don't...but I do love Rhespighi, Borodin, Bartok, Dvorak, Schumann, Copland, Grieg, Barber...etc...but introducing many wonderful gems to folks my age almost never goes well. Classical music is a dinosaur...and there are many wonderful pieces but it takes a different kind of young person to really get into it...

They should have just let Tonya skate to ZZ Top...

 

[aschiutza]

Did anyone skated to Wagner? I found it as such a "heavy" music, somehow i cannot see working with gliding on the ice.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Sleeping Beauty. Good lord, I hate the start of that music. It's tense and sounds like cats screeching, to me. The rest of it is fine, but every time I see Gold start that program I wish she would ease into the music instead of having those jarring chords.

 

[bartlebooth]

Did anyone skated to Wagner? I found it as such a "heavy" music, somehow i cannot see working with gliding on the ice.

Sale/Pelletier skated to Tristan und Isolde.

The Flower Maidens bit Komm o holder Knabe from Parsifal is not heavy, IMO. I like the Magic Fire Music, too.

I must confess that I'd love to see a girl skating dramatically to Walkürenritt wearing tons of eyeliner and black lipstick.

 

[aschiutza]

Thank you.

Yaek, that would be interesting. But you need a girl with tons of right personality to back up this kind of music. For example, i cannot see either Mao or Yuna skating like that (in competition ).

 

[skatedreamer]

Sale/Pelletier skated to Tristan und Isolde.

The Flower Maidens bit Komm o holder Knabe from Parsifal is not heavy, IMO. I like the Magic Fire Music, too.

I must confess that I'd love to see a girl skating dramatically to Walkürenritt wearing tons of eyeliner and black lipstick.

Wow, I'd completely forgotten about Sale/Pelletier's Tristan und Isolde. As a rule, Wagner makes me crazy but you may be onto something re: Magic Fire Music!

 

[skatedreamer]

Oh, my goodness. All these years I've been holding it against Sting. Thanks for the correction! It just goes to show you that I know my way around classical and folk music a lot more than pop. In fact, most of what I know about pop music is from hearing skating programs.

I grew up as a classical music snob so can seriously relate (thankfully, have long since broadened the horizons). One of the high points of these Olys for me was the Shibs' Michael Jackson program -- first time in my life that I came even close to enjoying MJ!

Re: Sting, please allow me to recommend his CD called "Songs from the Labyrinth." John Dowland lute songs -- sheesh, who knew? He doesn't have the world's greatest voice but that doesn't matter a rusty skate blade because it's totally right for the music. And his rendition of the texts is amazing. Trust me, you haven't lived until you've heard him sing "Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite."

To everyone else, sorry to be veering far off-topic! I promise to try to behave myself in future.

 

[vinganca]

I honestly put myself on a diet listening to the Pina OST...THAT is fine ballet music indeed with taste and sophistication...small wonder that the only ones who ever dared to skate to that were Savchenko/Szolkovy and Jeremy Abbot in his SP! the ice dance pair from AZE also had it but they really didnt do it justice IMO...at least they tried and the audience at least had nice music to listen to!

i didn't love the Pina soundtrack, but now you make me want to give it another try There was one track that i really liked, La Prima Ves by Owain Phyfe. He has such a unique voice and the song is beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrHt6Ob9-3A

 

[noskates]

It's been at least 24 hours since I said CARMEN CARMEN CARMEN. NO NO NO

 

[anyanka]

Carmen
Scheherazade
Liebestraum
Stravinksy's Firebird
Swan Lake

With the use of lyrics starting next season, I predict lots of popular songs and Broadway standards. I also think some performers will start singing along, like Nelli Z did in the short dance. Could spice things up!

As for popular music actually used for skating now: please, please NO MORE AC/DC (Kevin Reynolds you're a fab skater but that program was absolutely not for you).